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F-16 Fighting Falcon official
factsheet
Mission
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact,
multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air
combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance
weapon system for the United States and allied nations.
Features
In an air combat role, the F-16's
maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can fly to enter air combat, stay, fight
and return) exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft. It can locate targets in
all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In an
air-to-surface role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers), deliver its
weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its
starting point. An all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during
non-visual bombing conditions.
In designing the F-16, advanced aerospace
science and proven reliable systems from other aircraft such as the F-15 and F-111 were
selected. These were combined to simplify the airplane and reduce its size, purchase
price, maintenance costs and weight. The light weight of the fuselage is achieved without
reducing its strength. With a full load of internal fuel, the F-16 can withstand up to
nine G's -- nine times the force of gravity -- which exceeds the capability of other
current fighter aircraft.
The cockpit and its bubble canopy give
the pilot unobstructed forward and upward vision, and greatly improved vision over the
side and to the rear. The seat-back angle was expanded from the usual 13 degrees to 30
degrees, increasing pilot comfort and gravity force tolerance. The pilot has excellent
flight control of the F-16 through its "fly-by-wire" system. Electrical wires
relay commands, replacing the usual cables and linkage controls. For easy and accurate
control of the aircraft during high G-force combat maneuvers, a side stick controller is
used instead of the conventional center-mounted stick. Hand pressure on the side stick
controller sends electrical signals to actuators of flight control surfaces such as
ailerons and rudder.
Avionics systems include a highly
accurate inertial navigation system in which a computer provides steering information to
the pilot. The plane has UHF and VHF radios plus an instrument landing system. It also has
a warning system and modular countermeasure pods to be used against airborne or surface
electronic threats. The fuselage has space for additional avionics systems.
Background
The F-16A, a single-seat model, first
flew in December 1976. The first operational F-16A was delivered in January 1979 to the
388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
The F-16B, a two-seat model, has tandem
cockpits that are about the same size as the one in the A model. Its bubble canopy extends
to cover the second cockpit. To make room for the second cockpit, the forward fuselage
fuel tank and avionics growth space were reduced. During training, the forward cockpit is
used by a student pilot with an instructor pilot in the rear cockpit.
All F-16s delivered since November 1981
have built-in structural and wiring provisions and systems architecture that permit
expansion of the multirole flexibility to perform precision strike, night attack and
beyond-visual-range interception missions. This improvement program led to the F-16C and
F-16D aircraft, which are the single- and two-place counterparts to the F-16A/B, and
incorporate the latest cockpit control and display technology. All active units and many
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units have converted to the F-16C/D.
The F-16 was built under an unusual
agreement creating a consortium between the United States and four NATO countries:
Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. These countries jointly produced with the
United States an initial 348 F-16s for their air forces. Final airframe assembly lines
were located in Belgium and the Netherlands. The consortium's F-16s are assembled from
components manufactured in all five countries. Belgium also provides final assembly of the
F100 engine used in the European F-16s. Recently, Portugal joined the consortium. The
long-term benefits of this program will be technology transfer among the nations producing
the F-16, and a common-use aircraft for NATO nations. This program increases the supply
and availability of repair parts in Europe and improves the F-16's combat readiness.
USAF F-16 multi-mission fighters were
deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm, where more
sorties were flown than with any other aircraft. These fighters were used to attack
airfields, military production facilities, Scud missiles sites and a variety of other
targets.
Most recently in the Spring of 1999
during Operation Allied Force, USAF F-16 multi-mission fighters flew a variety of missions
to include suppression of enemy air defense, offensive counter air, defensive counter air,
close air support and forward air controller missions. Mission results were outstanding as
these fighters destroyed radar sites, vehicles, tanks, MiGs and buildings.
General Characteristics
Primary Function: Multirole
fighter
Builder: Lockheed Martin Corp.
Power Plant: F-16C/D: one Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-200/220/229 or General Electric
F110-GE-100/129
Thrust: F-16C/D, 27,000 pounds
Length: 49 feet, 5 inches (14.8 meters)
Height: 16 feet (4.8 meters)
Wingspan: 32 feet, 8 inches (9.8 meters)
Speed: 1,500 mph (Mach 2 at altitude)
Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (15 kilometers)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 37,500 pounds (16,875 kilograms)
Range: More than 2,000 miles ferry range (1,740 nautical miles)
Armament: One M-61A1 20mm multibarrel cannon with 500 rounds; external stations can
carry up to six air-to-air missiles, conventional air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions
and electronic countermeasure pods
Unit cost: F-16A/B , $14.6 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars); F-16C/D,$18.8
million (fiscal 98 constant dollars)
Crew: F-16C, one; F-16D, one or two
Date Deployed: January 1979
